They don't do it directly, but subcontract with companies that want to make up for low prices with volume. HD usually dictates what you can charge for the services and requires that you purchase your materials and supplies from them.

Box stores, Sears, and others have been doing this for years with kitchen cabinets, water heaters, carpeting and other floor covering, heating and air conditioning, siding, roofing, and probably lots more that don't come to mind immediately. It's not a new idea, just a continuation of how they try to get more of the consumer dollars. It's not necessarily a bad deal, but I'd sure check the price of installation they quote against what you could hire a contractor yourself. If the store is going to add 10% or more to what they pay the contractor, the bottom line to the consumer would likely be more that if the consumer hired the contractor. The extra cost might be worth it to some folks that just don't want to bother with finding someone to do the job. Pretty much the opposite side of DIY.

Yesterday there was a show after the evening news dedicated to the home and garden show in cincinnati.

They had one company that completely redid bathrooms with the skins over the old tub and shower and

another company that wasn't a plumbing company at all, showing removal/replacement of sinks/dishwashers/disposals, toilets.

I'm self taught on advertising and I have to admit.....if I was a consumer and needed plumbing services done, I would of at least been inclined to consider calling and possibly hiring due to the way the advertising was done.

It was that good and I'm sure, no license to speak of.

The HD I have the closest relations with in my area has went through 6 plumbing contractors. They keep asking me and absolutely not. I'll keep taking the leftovers and crumbs and keep the nonsense of nothing but water heaters for 7 days straight to a minimum.

Home Depot bought a nation wide supply house. There are none by me, so I don't know if it made a difference in price, quality or service. But if the quality you get at a Home Depot store is any indication, hello made in China! Pretty soon we will reminince about the good old days when fittings and pipe came from Taiwan.

The name of that place is Hughes Supply. They showed up here about 10 years ago and cut pricing like crazy trying to take all the clients away from the other suppliers. There have always been too many suppliers around here anyway, then they showed up and really screwed up the pricing. Now they are owned by HD. Goodbye pump business. Everything will be junk just as kordts said.

I have heard rumors they are sorry they bought the place, but I'm not sure of the reason. Other than it's a whores market because of the number of suppliers here. I can name several. Gormans, Rite-Flo, DSI, TWC, Castle and Coast Pump. There are more, I just can't remember them all. I can drive to any one of them in less than an hour. Oh did I mention John Deere Landscapes and Florida Irrigation? I don't think I mentioned one that didn't have multilple branches, some in the 10's and 20's.

A long time ago I saw on the buisineess news that were trying to get their foot
into teh construction end of the sales market.....

Home Depot bought HUGHES supply and many others....

But they recently ousted the CEO of home depot
becasue they were completely loseing their asses in this venture..
by slashing proces and probably giving credit out to people in the constructioin
field that did not pay their bills....

now its all up in the air and you wonder how its gonna shake out

the only thing for sure is the CEO that got ousted probably walked away
with 200 mil....